Resources

Below, you will find our ever-growing list of resources for LGBT foster and adoptive parents. Some are national or state-wide organizations, while others will be local to residents of Southern California (sorry, we're biased because we live there). Please feel free to share your own in the comments. We'd be happy to add any you recommend! 


Foster & Adoption Services

• California Community Care Licensing: California's licensing agency for foster family homes.
• California State Department of Social Services: 916-651-8088; Adult adoptees, birth parents, or siblings can call for information about a specific adoption; anyone can call for information about adopting.
• Children's Bureau of Southern California (L.A., Orange, and Ventura Counties): 800-730-3933 for foster care and adoption services; provides mental health services, support groups for foster and adoptive parents, referrals and resources.
• Five Acres (Altadena, CA): Five Acres is an all inclusive agency with open arms to qualified people without discrimination of age, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion or ancestry. Five Acres recruits, trains, and certifies foster families who have opened their homes and hearts to children.
• Los Angeles Department of Children & Family Services
• Orange County Department of Children & Family Services

Support for Foster & Adoptive Families

• Administration for Children & Families - Child Welfare Information Gateway: Resources on all aspects of domestic and intercountry adoption, with a focus on adoption from the U.S. foster care system. Includes information for adoption professionals, adopted adults, expectant parents considering adoption, birth parents and relatives, and prospective and adoptive parents on a broad range of adoption topics. 
• Adopt Us Kids: Offers an array of services to both families and child welfare professionals. From tips and resources to an extensive database of children in U.S. foster care available for adoption and families who are home studied and approved to adopt them.
• California Youth Connection: A group of foster youth and supportive adults that provides a vehicle for California foster youth to learn leadership and advocacy skills and to engage directly with policymakers to improve the foster care system.
• Families Like Ours: Families Like Ours, Inc is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) Adoption Exchange, helping pre & post adoptive families, LGBT and non-LGBT alike since October 2000 through a network of adoption resources, support, education and advocacy.
• Foster Care & Adoptive Community: Information sharing, training, discussion boards for foster and adoptive families. 
• Foster Club: Foster Club is a national network for children in foster care.
• Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health Access: 800-854-7771 (24 Hour); Access to mental health services in Los Angeles County.
• National Resource Center for Adoptions: Aims to assist States, Tribes, Territories, and Courts in building its capacity to ensure the safety, well-being, and permanency of abused and neglected children through adoption and post legal adoption services program planning, policy development and practice.
• North American Council On Adoptable Children (NACAC): NACAC promotes and supports permanent families for children and youth in the U.S. and Canada who have been in care—especially those in foster care and those with special needs.
• New York State Citizens' Coalition for Children: Many American families foster or adopt a child of another race or culture. It is against federal law to delay or deny a child’s placement for foster care or adoption on the basis of race, color or national origin. However, sometimes multi-cultural families need extra support. This site provides personal essays from adoptees, non-adopted siblings, and professional voice on raising (or considering adopting) children in multi-cultural families. It also has a selection of online resources on multi-ethnic adoption and parenting issues.
• UCLA TIES for Families: TIES for Families is an interdisciplinary, university-based program established  to promote the successful adoption, growth, and development of children with special needs, especially those with prenatal substance exposure who are in foster care. The program is located on the UCLA campus and works in collaboration with the public child welfare and mental health systems. 

Support for LGBT Families

• COLAGE: A national movement of children, youth, and adults with one or more lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or queer (LGBTQ) parent/s. COLAGE builds community and work toward social justice through youth empowerment, leadership development, education, and advocacy.
• Family Equality Council: Family Equality Council connects, supports, and represents the one million lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender parents in this country and the two million children they are raising. It serves as a national coordinator between families with LGBT parents and the local groups that support them. 
• Gay Parent Magazine: Thinking of becoming a parent? Looking to expand your family through foster care, adoption or reproductive technology? Want to find an LGBT-friendly private school or camp for your child? How did others become parents or deal with issues with their child? Gay Parent Magazine can help you answer questions about same-sex  parenting.
• Human Rights Campaign Families Project: HRC's Families Project provides all sorts of resources for LGBT families. Issues cover adoption, assisted reproduction, foster parenting, protecting your family, schools, and much more.
• L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center Parents & Family Services: Through the Center’s Family Services program, you’ll meet people with various family structures, gender identities and expressions, races and cultural backgrounds, incomes, abilities and religions. By helping LGBT-parented families share commonalities and learn about differences, Family Services helps build a stronger community, one family at a time. If you are thinking of starting a family, the Center’s Family Services program can help you find resources.
• National Center for Lesbian Rights: NCLR offers a wide ranges of publications regarding LGBT families and parenting free of charge. And if you have legal questions related to your sexual orientation or gender identity and don't find the answers in their publication, NCLR's helpline can assist you.
• Navigating LGBT Adoptions -- A Free Guide: This guide is designed to provide the necessary background information and resources to use while you are considering adoption or engaging in the adoption process.
• Rainbow Conceptions: A site developed especially for LGBT individuals or couples just starting or still growing their families. Provides resources for those considering adoption, surrogacy, in vitro, or fostering. Also has message boards where you can discuss the issues you face on your journey to parenthood -- and get great advice from other LGBT parents and prospective parents.
• The Next Family: The Next Family is an online magazine for the "modern" parent. The Next Family include contributions from all sorts of parents -- adoptive parents, LGBT parents, urban parents, interracial parents,  single parents, in vitro parents, and so on.
• The Pop Luck Club: A Los Angeles based organization of gay dads, prospective dads, and their families. The Pop Luck Club is the largest known gay fathers organization in the world, with hundreds of families and strong continued growth. As an all-volunteer, non-profit organization, PLC produces special community events, such as our annual “Kids’ Fun Fair,” and co-sponsors other events, such as “Families In The Desert” with The Family Equality Council.
• The Rainbow Babies: A site providing a central area for general information on the many aspects of LGBT pregnancies and parenting. TRB also provides space for parents or prospective parents to share their stories about their respective paths to parenthood.

Legal Stuff

• Alliance for Children's Rights: 3333 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 550, Los Angeles, CA 90010; The Alliance represents families during the adoption finalization process to ensure that each child has the right benefits and services in place in order to help create a safe and permanent home.
• California Courts Self-Help -- Families & Children: Learn about various topics affecting families and children. For each topic, find instructions, forms, and answers to frequently asked questions.
• California Department of Health Services -- Office of Vital Records: To request amended copies of birth certificates for adopted children born in California. 
• County of Los Angeles Registrar - Recorder/County Clerk: To order copies of birth, marriage, and death certificates.
• Edmund Edleman's Children's Court: 323-526-6343 (Adoption Clerk); To request a copy of the final Adoption Order (decree) or to petition the court to open/unseal an adoption record.
• Public Counsel Adoptions Project: 20 Centre Plaza Drive, Room 2700, Monterey Park, CA 9754; The Adoptions project provides representation to parents adopting children in the foster care system. 

Miscellaneous

• Camp It Up! (Quincy, CA): Camp It Up! is a one-of-a-kind family vacation that respects and celebrates all unique families.
• Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health Access: 800-854-7771 (24 Hour); Access to mental health services in Los Angeles County.
• R Family Vacations: R Family Vacations is the most inclusive international LGBT vacation offered. 

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Note: All resources have been provided for general information purposes only. A Tale of Two Mommies provides no professional legal, medical, or parenting advice. Any legal, medical, or parenting information offered here or on the sites provided should be discussed  with your personal legal or medical professional.  Further, links to external sites do not create an association with any organization or agency and should not be construed as an endorsement by A Tale of Two Mommies of the information, services, or products provided by any organization, agency, or website.